The present invention relates to a puncture needle support tool, RF (radio frequency) coil, magnetic resonance signal measuring apparatus, and magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and method, and more particularly to a puncture needle support tool attached to an RF coil, an RF coil provided with the puncture needle support tool, a magnetic resonance signal measuring apparatus employing such an RF coil, and a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and method employing such a magnetic resonance signal measuring apparatus.
A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus employing a magnetic field generating apparatus with high openness of an imaging space, such as a permanent magnet magnetic field generating apparatus, is employed to perform xe2x80x9cinterventionalxe2x80x9d imaging, i.e. magnetic resonance imaging concurrent with a medical operation such as biopsy on an object to be imaged.
In performing biopsy, an RF coil for receiving a magnetic resonance signal is positioned with respect to the object to be imaged so that an object site can be properly imaged, and a puncture needle support tool is positioned with respect to the object to be imaged so that the object site can be properly punctured.
In such a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus, the separate RF coil and puncture needle support tool must be individually positioned. The operative work is therefore complicated. Moreover, since the operator must determine the puncture direction for the puncture needle based on an image being captured, considerable skill is required for the operator to carry out appropriate puncture.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a puncture needle support tool for facilitating appropriate puncture in magnetic resonance imaging, an RF coil provided with such a puncture needle support tool, a magnetic resonance signal measuring apparatus employing such an RF coil, and a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and method employing such a magnetic resonance signal measuring apparatus.
In accordance with a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a puncture needle support tool comprising: a first base member having means for attachment to an RF coil; a second base member attached to the first base member movably in a direction substantially parallel to the axis of the RF coil; and a guide member comprising a puncture needle passage and an MR marker disposed along the puncture needle passage, and attached to the second base member movably in a direction substantially perpendicular to the axis of the RF coil and rotatably in a plane substantially perpendicular to the axis of the RF coil.
In accordance with a second aspect of the invention, there is provided an RF coil comprising: a coil body forming a loop adapted to surround an object to be imaged; and a puncture needle support tool engaged with the coil body.
In accordance with a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a magnetic resonance signal measuring apparatus comprising an RF coil and magnetic resonance signal measuring means connected to a body of the RF coil, wherein the RF coil as described regarding the second aspect is employed as the RF coil.
(Effect)
According to the present invention, a puncture needle support tool is integrally engaged with a coil body to improve coordination of positioning of the RF coil and positioning of the puncture needle. Moreover, a guide member for the puncture needle is provided with an MR marker to make it possible to determine the puncture direction based on an image of the MR marker.
Thus, the present invention can provide a puncture needle support tool for facilitating appropriate puncture in magnetic resonance imaging, an RF coil provided with such a puncture needle support tool, a magnetic resonance signal measuring apparatus employing such an RF coil, and a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and method employing such a magnetic resonance signal measuring apparatus.
Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.